BDA's land given to its employees at throwaway price cancelled

BANGALORE: After being summoned by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who was upset over reports of a land dealing in the BDA, its commissioner T Sham Bhat who on Tuesday promptly cancelled the allotment and sale deed done in favour of BDA Employees' Welfare Association.

The BDA courted controversy after it sold 2.35 acre plot in Banashankari fifth phase to BDA Employees' Welfare Association at Rs 6.87 per sq feet on June 4. An RTI activist B M Shiva Kumar alleged that the land was sold to the association at a throwaway price of Rs 8.6 lakh (entire 2.35 acre which also included registration cost), while the property is worth over Rs 100 crore. The activist said the present cost of the land per sq feet in the same location costs nearly Rs 7,000 per sq feet.

Kumar alleged that the allotment had been done in violation with the norms and no government consent had been taken. Cancelling the deal, Bhat said even the association too came forward to give away the land.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday summoned Bhat and sought the details of the dealing related to land.

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